Album, Single and EP Reviews

On The Waggon by Matt Woosey Band

Another adventurer in an eternal search for authenticity, singer songwriter on the blues trail Matt Woosey unleashes his album “On The Waggon” upon an unsuspecting, and these days probably uncaring, world.

Ready and willing to prove that he is firing on all cylinders our Mr Woosey fires off salvo after salvo of guitar powered blues rock just like they used to do back in the Britain of the seventies and, with an obvious passion , succeeds admirably in keeping to the straight and narrow. “Cruel Disposition” and “Jealous Man” provide more than adequate proof of that. He’s clearly got the dexterity too so a diversion into more folk oriented territory, as with “Elsie May”, works out just fine. In fact, the only stumbling point is the tired reinvention, complete with extended and truly tedious drum solo, of the blues jam in “Dopey Mick”. That why the seventies are in the past.

Matt Woosey is a confident performer who knows how to deliver a tune even if he does seem a touch hamstrung, in creative terms, by the expectations of a festival audience these days. Given a bit of time and commercial success however, I’m sure he will spread his wings and fly.